Bedspread support



July 7, 1970 H. o. CRIPPEN ETAL 3,518,706

BEDSPREAD SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1968 INVENTOR.

y 7, 1970 H. o. CRIPPEN ETAL 3,518,706

BEDSPREAD SUPPORT Filed Sept. 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wane0 United States Patent 3,518,706 BEDSPREAD SUPPORT Herbert O. Crippen and Ruby L. Crippen, both of 3156 W. Belle Plaine, Chicago, Ill. 60618 Filed Sept. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 762,217 Int. Cl. A47c 21/00 US. Cl. -321 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bedspread support having a generally rectangular support frame slightly longer and wider than the mattress to accommodate a bedspread with its main portion spanning the support frame and with its skirt portion overhanging the support frame, extensible support means at the head of the bed frame and connected in cantilever engagement to the support frame and a drive mechanism controlling extension and retraction of the extensible support to shift the support frame between a display position encircling the mattress and a canopy position overhanging the mattress.

This invention relates to bed frame structures and, more particularly, is concerned with an attachment for a bed frame structure to provide a shiftable bedspread support which may be moved from a recessed out of the way position encircling the usual bed mattress and characterized by enabling the bedspread to assume its normal decorative position covering the bedding to an elevated canopy position wherein the bedspread is supported in an extended relation spaced directly above the bedding.

Bedspreads are increasingly relied upon for achieving decorative effects in bedroom styling and as such bedspreads are now supplied in luxurious and expensive fabrics and designs which require more careful and protective handling for maintaining the desired freshness in appearance and for retaining the desired decorative effects over a long period of useful life. Repeated folding of these modern bedspreads inevitably leads to creasing and wrinkling of the bedspread, these effects being readily visible when the bedspread is displayed across the bedding for its intended decorative purposes.

The present invention provides a lifting support for shifting a bedspread between a lower display position of normal use upon the bedding and an elevated canopy position directly overhanging the bedding. The lifting support is of open rectangular frame configuration corresponding to the outline contour of the bed and, in each position, it supports the bedspread in a substantially fully extended relation so that folding or wrinkling of the bedspread is never encountered. The support frame of this invention is carried in cantilever fashion by a pair of extensible support posts located at the head end of the bed frame and in particular at corner regions thereof. The extensible support posts may be custom fabricated to nest in masked relation within the headboard corner posts or may be separately attached to the headboard corner posts.

In the disclosed embodiment, the bedspread support is slightly oversized in relation to the bed mattress in order to assume an embracing depressed relation relative to the mattress. In this arrangement, the bedspread may have intermediate regions of its skirt portion engaged to the support frame to enable the frame, in assuming the display position, to draw and hold the spread in snug fitting relation upon the mattress and achieve a neat and finished appearance.

A number of extensible support structures are disclosed herein and are operable in unison to raise the bedspread support frame through a direct vertical path to achieve a clean line canopy effect when in the raised position.

The stability of the support frame in its raised position is insured by utilizing reinforcement trusses at the cantilevered ends of the support frame.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show structure embodying preferred features of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an oversized or California type bed arrangement having a shiftable bedspread support frame shown in its normal recessed display position wherein the bedspread is snug upon the bed mattress;

FIG. 2 is a related perspective view illustrating the bedspread support frame positioned in its elevated or canopy position directly overhanging a mattress and supporting the bedspread in a parallel relation to the mattress;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the oversized frame in embracing relation to the mattress and illustrating hook facilities for connecting the bedspread in predetermined relation upon the support frame;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating one form of extensible support post mechanism for regulating lifting and stable support of the bedspread frame;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating another embodiment of the invention utilizing a direct gear drive for the extensible support posts;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing additional details of the support post guiding and drive arrangement in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view illustrating still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the details of the extensible support post and drive mechanism for the embodiment of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, an oversized or California type bed is designated generally at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is shown equipped with a support frame 11 of open rectangular form that is fitted with a bedspread B which spans the entirety of the support frame and has a skirt portion S that overhangs the support frame. The bed 10 includes the usual floor mounted bed frame 12 having a headboard 13 which is here illustrated as having a pair of corner posts 14 serving as mounts for extensible support posts, designated generally at 15, that carry the support frame. While, as illustrated here, the support posts are shown nested in specially configured mounting bores 16 provided in the headboard corner posts, the support posts 15 may alternately be mounted on a conventional head-board arrangement.

It will be apparent from a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2 that the support frame 11 is shiftable from a normal display position wherein the frame 11 is adjacent the mattress or bedding 17 and the bedspread B is snugly and neatly applied across the mattress and an elevated position wherein the support frame 11 is directly above and extends in horizontal overhanging relation to the mattress 17 to carry the bedspread B in a canopy fashion.

A further feature of the invention resides in forming the bedspread support frame 11 in oversized relation with respect to the mattress to enable the support frame to assume a normal position wherein it embraces and is depressed relative to the top of the mattress. The oversize relationship is illustrated in exaggerated fashion in FIG. 3 wherein the support frame 11 is shown to follow the general outline contour of the mattress 17. In the disclosed embodiment, the support frame 11 is equipped with hooks 11H to cooperate with loops (not shown) carried by and spaced along the underside of the bedspread at an intermediate region of its skirt portion S. The bedspread loops are engaged on the support frame hooks to establish a fixed predetermined relation of the bedspread which enables the support frame 11, in moving downwardly to its depressed display position, to draw the bedspread snug and into smooth fitting relation upon the mattress When the support frame 11 is elevated to its canopy position, the main portion of the bedspread assumes a hollow contour, as illustrated in FIG. 2, but is otherwise maintained generally smooth and free of wrinkles to present a pleasing canopy effect.

The support frame 11 is mounted at its head end corners in a cantilever fashion to the support posts 15, with a gusset plate 18 being provided and connected along its short vertical side to the corresponding support post and connected along its horizontal side to the corresponding long leg of the support frame. The gusset mounting of the frame serves as a reinforcement truss to stabilize the cantilever suspension and enable the support frame and bedspread to be carried without objectionable wobble or deflection. As is apparent in FIG. 3, the support frame is generally L-shaped in transverse section having a vertical leg 11V and a horizontal bottom leg 11B.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the extensible support posts 15 are represented as a telescoping rod assembly having a large base rod 15A mounted stationarily in the headboard corner post, a number of intermediate rods 15B of progressively smaller diameter normally recessed one within the other and a top connector rod 15C which receives a mounting bracket 19 having a sleeve portion 195 fixedly attached on the upper end of the connector rod and having a shank portion 19P engaged to the mounting truss 18 of the support frame. This telescoping rod arrangement may be of the general type used in motor driven aerials commonly provided on automobiles with the two assemblies being powered from a common drive motor (not shown) by means of a flexible cable system (not shown).

It should be noted that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the invention utilizes a fixed size support frame arranged when in lowered position to embrace the mattress and arranged when in elevated position to overhang the mattress while in both positions holding the bedspread in a smooth wrinkle free contour so that continued usage of the bedspread does not lead to undesirable wrinkling or creasing effects and so that the bedspread is naturally held in a snug smooth lined display relationship. An effective and stable cantilever mounting is provided for the fixed size support frame. In addition, the extensible support posts 15 for the frame are powered from a common drive to move in unison and elevate the frame along a straight line vertical path which maintains the frame in parallel relation to the mattress at any selected canopy elevation.

Another embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein the bed 10 is again shown with a conventional bed frame 12 and headboard, the headboard again having corner posts 14 specially configured to receive the extensible support post 21 that carry the frame. In this form the support posts utilize a single vertical rod 21 equipped with rack teeth 21T meshing with a pinion gear 22 mounted on the shaft 238 of a drive motor 23. A separate motor 23 and pinion gear 22 may be provided for each corner post or the same motor may drive a separate gear for each rack type lifting rod 21. The rod 21, as illustrated, is guided by a vertically spaced set of rollers 24 provided in the headboard corner post 14 to prevent binding of the gearing when the cantilever forces are acting on the rod 21. In this form, the motor 23 and its pinion 22 are located adjacent the upper end of the headboard corner post 14 and the gusset plates 18 are attached to the guided drive rod 21 at an intermediate position (see FIG. 6) in order that the support frame 11 may assume a recessed relation to the mattress 17 When the parts are in their lower or display position, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 5.

A further embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the bed frame 12 is equipped with multi-telescoping tubular cylinders 25A, 25B and 25C incorporated as part of an automatic hydraulic lift system, the cylinders being attached alongside the headboard corner posts rather than being nested therein. In this form, the hydraulic lift system includes a pump 26 associated with a hydraulic liquid sump 26H having a pressure discharge line 26F and a suction line 26S communicating with a control valve 27 which regulates flow through a feed line 28 connected in the base section 25A of the telescoping cylinders. Each cylinder has its lower end presenting an annular piston face with the inner or topmost cylinder having the largest piston area, the next cylinder having the intermediate size piston area and so on whereby as hydraulic pressure is applied to the system, the innermost cylinder 250 is first fully elevated followed by each of the next larger cylinders 25B, each of which is fully extended in turn, while the base cylinder 25A remains stationary. In this form, the support frame 11 is connected to the top cylinder 250 by means of a suspension bracket 29 which has a depending vertical leg 29L to receive the support frame 11 at a position enabling the support frame to assume the depressed display relationship previously described for causing the support frame to assist in holding the bedspread B in snug contour fitting relation upon the mattress 17. The mounting bracket, as pictured here, includes a top shroud or cap 290 to cover the upper end of the telescoping cylinder assembly when the parts are in their lowered position.

While the invention has been described in relation to an oversized bed of otherwise conventional form, it is also contemplated that childrens bed furniture including six-year cribs and cradles of various styles may be similarly equipped with an automatically shiftable support frame holding a bedspread for movement between a covering relation to the bed and an elevated canopy position.

Thus, While preferred constructional features of the invention are embodied in the structure illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bed arrangement wherein a bed frame supports a mattress, a bedspread support mechanism comprising a generally rectangular support frame slightly longer and wider than the mattress and arranged to receive a bedspread with the main portion of the bedspread spanning the support frame in substantially fully extended relation and with the skirt portion of the bedspread overhanging the support frame in masking relation, extensible support means mounted adjacent the head of the bed frame and connected in cantilever engagement to the corresponding end of said support frame and drive means for extending and retracting said support means to shift said support frame from a normal display position wherein the support frame encircles the mattress to dispose the bedspread in snug fitting relation to the mattress to an upper canopy position wherein the support frame and bedspread overhang the mattress.

2. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support frame has bedspread fasteners spaced thereabout and engageable with an intermediate region of the skirt portion of the bedspread to hold the bedspread in substantially fully extended relation thereon.

3. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said extensible support means comprises a pair of extensible rod mechanisms mounted to the bed frame adjacent head corner regions of the support frame and engaged in cantilever relation to the head corner regions of the support frame.

4. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 3 and wherein each extensible rod mechanism has a truss connection to the support frame to stabilize the cantilever mounting of the support frame.

5. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 4 and wherein the bed frame includes a headboard having corner posts each providing a vertical mounting groove, each said extensible rod mechanism being nested within the mounting groove of the corresponding corner post.

6. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 5 wherein each extensible rod mechanism includes a plurality of concentric telescopin rods having an outermost rod mounted stationary in the head corner post and an innermost rod carrying said truss connection.

7. In a bed arrangement in accordance with claim 5 wherein each extensible rod mechanism includes a lift 6 rod having rack teeth, each said corner post has guide roller means engageable with said lift rod, and drive means including a separate pinion gear meshing with each lift rod to control raising and lowering thereof.

References Cited BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5334, 362 

